School van driver charged

Saturday

Nov 10, 2012 at 6:00 AM

By Karen Nugent TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Another school van driver with a history of driving violations was stopped by police early yesterday afternoon for allegedly driving erratically. She is charged with driving under the influence of drugs and failure to stay in marked lanes.

Bonnie J. Lyons, 55, of 81 Washington St., was driving a van registered to Northboro-based Van Pool Transportation when someone from Berlin called police and reported that she was swerving and driving irregularly.

There were no pupils in the van.

She was subsequently pulled over by Officer Joseph Downing who confiscated her license. He said Ms. Lyons was not arrested but would receive a summons. He said Ms. Lyons told him she was on prescribed pain medication, not illegal drugs.

Kevin Hinkamper, president of Van Pool, which also has offices in Barre, Fitchburg and Wilbraham, said Ms. Lyons is a part-time driver who drove special needs students from Marlboro-based Assabet Valley Collaborative, which serves Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Grafton, Hudson, Lancaster, Marlboro, Maynard, Millbury, Northboro, Shrewsbury, Southboro, Stow and Westboro.

He said Ms. Lyons will not be driving for the company until the case is resolved.

According to the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, Ms. Lyons had speeding violations in Berlin in August 2011, in Harvard in 1994; and a right of way at an intersection violation in Boston in 1994. She was also involved in an accident in Clinton in 1994, and in Berlin on Oct. 20.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation said Ms. Lyons had a valid school vehicle driverís license before the incident yesterday; and Van Pool Transportation is properly certified.

Last month, a school van driver for Leominster-based Ride-Rite Medi Van was arrested for drunken driving, kidnapping and child endangerment after driving around for hours with a blind student from Clinton in a Ride-Rite van. It was later discovered that the driver, Michael A. Tantillo of Leominster, has a seven-page driving and criminal history and did not have a school bus driverís license. He was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail at the county jail in West Boylston. He is due back in Clinton District Court Nov. 19.

A Ride-Rite lawyer went before the RMV at a hearing this week to answer questions about background checks and licenses for drivers. A decision is expected soon on revoking or suspending Ride-Riteís pupil vehicle license plates, the spokeswoman said.